Cho Gab-je Analyzes June 3 Local Election Landscape

Conservative commentator Cho Gab-je, president of Cho Gab-je.com, summarized the landscape of the June 3 local elections as 'the defeat of Jang Dong-hyuk's far-right faction, an injured victory for Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party, and the resurgence of Han Dong-hoon's conservative reconstruction faction.' He analyzed that the election carries the historical significance of 'judging the far-right, checking the administration, and reconstructing conservatism.' Cho stated via his Facebook page on the 3rd that the fundamental structure of the election was a confrontation between the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party's second party, a dynamic that determined the outcome.

Cho pointed out that People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk adhered to the 'Yoon-again' line, expelled former leader Han Dong-hoon, and caused the party's approval rating to drop to 17%. He added that former presidents Kim Moon-soo, Park Geun-hye, and Lee Myung-bak stepped in as 'relief pitchers' but could not change the trend.

Cho analyzed that rational conservatives, who dislike not only Jang Dong-hyuk but also Lee Jae-myung, showed a tendency to selectively vote for conservative candidates at the last minute. He also attributed the backlash from rational conservatives and moderates to the commotion surrounding the cancellation of Lee Jae-myung's indictment and the Starbucks boycott campaign. Cho assessed that Jang Dong-hyuk's move to 'kill Han Dong-hoon' was a losing strategy that hindered the formation of a 'southeasterly wind' unifying the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region, and that the Democratic Party's second party (Jang Dong-hyuk's People Power Party) tacitly condoned the reckless surge of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Regarding the by-election for the Buk-gap constituency in Busan, he predicted that if former leader Han Dong-hoon wins in a contest where former President Park Geun-hye supports Jang Dong-hyuk and Representative Lee Jae-myung fields a close aide, Han would ascend as the champion of conservatism, gaining the power to lead conservative reconstruction and exclude the far-right.

The main voting for the local elections took place from 6 a.m. on June 3rd at polling stations nationwide.